European University Cyprus Research Center, Nicosia, Cyprus.
European University Cyprus Research Center, Nicosia, Cyprus;
Anticancer Res. 2021 Dec;41(12):5881-5902. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.15408.
Cancer remains the second leading cause of death worldwide. Research is currently focused on finding novel anticancer therapies and elucidating their mechanisms of action. Cellular redox balance is a promising target for new therapies, as cancer cells already have elevated levels of oxidizing agents due to hypermetabolism and genetic instability. Although free radicals are actively involved in vital cellular signaling pathways, they have also been implicated in certain diseases, including cancer. The aim of this review was to highlight the involvement of oxidative stress in the mechanism of action of anticancer agents. The difference in cellular redox balance between normal and cancer cells is discussed as a potential anticancer target, along with various examples of approved or experimental drugs that may alter the redox state. These drugs are presented in relation to their pro-oxidant or antioxidant mechanisms, with the consequent goal of underscoring the importance of such mechanisms in the overall efficacy of anticancer drugs.
癌症仍然是全球第二大死亡原因。目前的研究重点是寻找新的抗癌疗法，并阐明它们的作用机制。细胞氧化还原平衡是新疗法的一个有前途的靶点，因为癌细胞由于代谢亢进和遗传不稳定性已经具有高水平的氧化剂。尽管自由基积极参与重要的细胞信号通路，但它们也与某些疾病有关，包括癌症。本综述的目的是强调氧化应激在抗癌药物作用机制中的作用。讨论了正常细胞和癌细胞之间细胞氧化还原平衡的差异，将其作为一种潜在的抗癌靶点，同时还讨论了各种已批准或实验性药物，这些药物可能会改变氧化还原状态。这些药物根据其促氧化剂或抗氧化剂机制进行介绍，其最终目的是强调这些机制在抗癌药物总体疗效中的重要性。
